Cyndi Lauper’s Kinky Boots triumphed at the 2013 Tony Award with six trophies, but it was Neil Patrick Harris’ opening number and Cicely Tyson’s emotional acceptance speech that stole the show.

Harris launched his fourth hosting of the Tonys “raring to go” and promising a truly “legendary show,” and that’s exactly what he delivered. Lots of singing and dancing ensued, and Neil even performed a little magic. Watch!

There was a bit of a dustup the morning after the Tonys when the Daily Mail published a story claiming that NPH used the N word during the opening number. The “How I Met Your Mother” star responded to the accusation on Twitter, saying, “Really, Daily Mail?!? The N-word? That’s your story?!? I would NEVER be so disrespectful and frankly, neither should you.”

It was a big night for veteran star Cicely Tyson, 79, who was back on Broadway this season after a 30-year absence. Her critically acclaimed role as a 1950s widow in Horton Foote’s “The Trip to Bountiful” won her the Best Leading Actress award.

“It’s been 30 years since I stood on stage,” Tyson said. “I really didn’t think it would happen again in my lifetime and I was pretty comfortable with that, except that I had this burning desire to do just one more. One more great role, I said. I didn’t want to be greedy. I just wanted one more, and it came to me with no effort on my part.”

When her time was up and “Give My Regards to Broadway” began to play, the Emmy winner and Oscar nominee said, “Please wrap it up, it says. Well, that’s exactly what you did with me. You wrapped me up in your arms after 30 years and now I can go home with a Tony.”

The big winner was Kinky Boots, a musical about a shoemaker and his drag queen business partner. Lauper, who wrote the 15-song-score, confessed as she accepted her prize, “I can’t say I wasn’t practicing in front of the shower curtain for a couple days for this speech. I want to thank Broadway.”